


all you knead is love

by instillared



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-10 21:06:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19912201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/instillared/pseuds/instillared
Summary: Wonwoo snorts as he hands over a few bills and a receipt. “Just don’t expect this kindness again.”“Again?” The stranger wiggles his eyebrows (or Wonwoo thinks he does; he can’t tell with the hair and the hat). He sports a loud grin as well, as the weight of Wonwoo’s words sink in.They sink in with Wonwoo, too, and he attempts to back track. “I mean- if you ever come back to the bakery. Not that I’m expecting you to come back. Just. I’ll be here, so don’t think I’m going to give you free things.”The man nods. “I see. Well, I must be going, Wonwoo-ssi. Maybe I will see you again.” He slings the bag over his shoulder and heads to the exit. Right before pushing the door open he throws Wonwoo an odd one-handed salute.





	all you knead is love

**Author's Note:**

> absolutely shocking no one, stilla is back at it again with the puns. this one is dedicated to a very cute bakery I visited near our hostel when we were in seoul. 
> 
> it was a paris baguette, but the sentiment remains.
> 
> the beautiful bbambinas on twitter did the art for this story and I am forever in their debt for such wonderful storytelling and patience and kindness and everything.
> 
> note: this is **unfinished** and will be updated as soon as it IS finished.

_Cinnamon_

_Nutmeg_

_Blueberries_

_Milk?_

_Simple syrup_

_Almonds (whole or crushed?)_

A notification on his phone shakes Wonwoo out of his train of thought. He’s writing down a shopping list for the morning crew while he waits dutifully for the café to come to a close for the night. No one has been in or out in almost an hour; such is the life of a small mom-and-pop bakery. They’re lucky the shop is right beside Dongguk, otherwise, Wonwoo’s not sure how the couple would continue to make money. Exam season is always their busiest time.

Right. The phone. 

**KSY:** I think I left my textbook near the sink

 **JWW** : Ah, yes it’s in the dishwasher now. Had crumbs all over it.

 **KSY** : Jeon Wonwoo!! TT that’s not funny. It belongs to Junhee and he’ll kill me if I ruin it.

 **JWW** : Oh? Have you finally wooed him? I’ll leave it in my locker.

 **KSY** : thank you~ 

As interested as Wonwoo is in his coworkers’ love affairs, he decides not to push on it until he sees either of them in person next. Instead, he focuses back on the shopping list. He has just under half an hour before it’s time to start the bread for the openers. 

_Peaches_

_Flaxseed_

_Green oni_

The bell above the door rings to signal a customer and Wonwoo curses to himself before sliding his phone in his back pocket and looking up to greet whoever it is. Usually it’s freeloaders looking for the sale bread Wonwoo will have to inevitably throw out at the end of the day. Not that they can afford to sell anything at a sale price, but a happy customer is better than an unhappy customer. But the person lazily walking around the bakery lobby and peering into the baskets is no freeloader or even a confused salaryman. 

It’s a young man, probably a student. He has tufts of black hair hiding under a red beret, cheeks puffing out slightly from a red scarf, and a massive brown coat covering the rest of his figure. His hands are in his pocket as he browses and Wonwoo just barely notices the pair of glasses sliding down his nose. 

“We close at 9, so if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask,” Wonwoo calls out in a soft voice. The stranger jumps a bit, almost as if he expected to be completely alone in the shop. Was he planning on stealing food? Maybe he is a freeloader, although the Louis Vuitton book bag hanging from his shoulder says otherwise. 

“Sorry, I know it’s late. I just got out of a cram session with my friends and I’m starving. Do you have anything with protein?” the stranger responds. His voice is bright, albeit laced with exhaustion. Wonwoo catches himself from staring at the bright red coloring on the stranger’s nose and cheeks and instead busies himself with the pens sitting before him on the countertop. 

Wonwoo shakes his head. “Sorry, we sell out of most of our savory items around lunch during the school year. All you see is all we have for tonight.” He brushes his hands on his apron before stepping around the counter and walking towards the customer. “If you’re looking for a snack to momentarily fill you up, the walnut cream cheese bread is pretty good. We also have almond slices and- oh, no, we’re out of the almond. But it’s pretty tasty.” 

This close he can almost smell a sweet fragrance wafting from the student. “I’ll give you anything you can fit into a basket for 20,000 won.” 

The stranger turns to face him with a somewhat shocked face. “Anything?! Isn’t that too much?” 

Wonwoo shrugs. “If you don’t take it, it goes in the trash. Either way, I have to get rid of it when we close.” Speaking of, Wonwoo glances up at the clock above the refrigerator. He’s supposed to lock the door in seven minutes. “But if you want anything, pick now. I have to start pulling the register.” 

After several seconds, the stranger nods and grabs for a basket. He throws in random pastries, a few wrapped donuts and cheese bread, some cookies, and a bottle of milk for good measure. True to Wonwoo’s word he only charges the man 20,000 won and bags everything up efficiently. The stranger leans in to look at Wonwoo’s nametag while Wonwoo counts his change. “Wonwoo-ssi, you have saved me from certain starvation. I will be forever in your debt.” 

Wonwoo snorts as he hands over a few bills and a receipt. “Just don’t expect this kindness again.” 

“Again?” The stranger wiggles his eyebrows (or Wonwoo thinks he does; he can’t tell with the hair and the hat). He sports a loud grin as well, as the weight of Wonwoo’s words sink in. 

They sink in with Wonwoo, too, and he attempts to backtrack. “I mean- if you ever come back to the bakery. Not that I’m expecting you to come back. Just. I’ll be here, so don’t think I’m going to give you free things.” 

The man nods. “I see. Well, I must be going, Wonwoo-ssi. Maybe I will see you again.” He slings the bag over his shoulder and heads to the exit. Right before pushing the door open he throws Wonwoo an odd one-handed salute. 

The bell above the door chimes and Wonwoo finds himself alone once again. He waits for a beat before swiftly locking the front door, flipping over the _Now Open_ sign to read _Closed_ , and heads to the back to get started on his batch of bread dough and any other closing duties. 

Unsurprisingly (not that Wonwoo was hoping), the stranger does not reappear for at least a week. The days go by uneventfully and Wonwoo spends them working on his backlog of recipes for the bakery. He comes in during the evening, changes over any expiring stock and waits patiently for the minute he can close up the store and get to work on setting up for the following morning. 

Tonight is no different. Wonwoo has just finished sweeping the front of house and putting up some of the chairs on the small cafe tables. Since there’s no one in the bakery he ends up heading to the back to log some inventory information. He hears the tell-tale sound of the bell above the door and peeks his head around the corner to see who has just come in.

“Ah! Wonwoo. I had hoped you would be here.” It’s Wonwoo’s happy stranger. This time the boy is wearing an oversized black pullover and bright orange leggings. No hat or scarf so Wonwoo can tell he has black fluffed hair. It’s pushed back with a grey band. His face looks tired and blotchy red as he takes a deep inhale, exhaling with an upbeat sigh. Instead of the Louis Vuitton bag there is a small duffel bag. “I just came from working out so now I have an excuse to eat sweets.” 

Wonwoo is taken aback. Here is this random guy who came into the bakery over a week ago, got away with paying way less than Wonwoo should have charged him for an entire basket of pastries, and disappeared without a single trace. Over a week later, he shows up again acting like he and Wonwoo are best friends. Wonwoo doesn’t even know his name. Absurd. His eyes are drawn to the stranger’s legs.

“So do you have anything strawberry-flavored today, Wonwoo?” The boy is standing in front of the counter now after a leisurely pace towards Wonwoo. 

Wonwoo stands in the doorway to the back of the bakery, hands clutching his inventory list. “I don’t know your name-” he blurts out. The stranger blinks his cat-like eyes before exploding into _Cute_. 

“Soonyoung. My friends call me Kwon Fire.” The stranger, Soonyoung, giggles after this.

Wonwoo’s heart skips a beat. _Oh no. He’s dumb as hell._

The clock above the register chimes. It’s closing time. Soonyoung looks at it and his grin disappears almost as suddenly as it appeared. “Oh, I didn’t even realize what time it was. I’m sorry, I can come back another time.” 

Soonyoung begins to back track towards the door as if the moment between the two of them is supposed to end as quickly as it began. A voice inside Wonwoo’s head screams at him to kick Soonyoung out and get to work so he can go home and sleep. A second, much softer voice, tells him to- “You can stay. I’m just. I’m just going to be in the back for another few hours. I usually listen to Red Velvet when I work and I wouldn’t mind the company.” _What the fuck_. 

Soonyoung stops and spins back around to face Wonwoo. The smile is back. “Okay. But you can’t judge me if I start to dance along.” 

The smile is so infectious, Wonwoo can’t help but smile back.

It becomes a routine of sorts. Soonyoung shows up near close in a variety of different outfits. Some days it’s business casual, the days he comes straight from night classes. Some days it’s t-shirt and leggings, the days he comes straight from working out. Some days it’s pajamas; Soonyoung says these are the days he had zero plans and just wanted to mooch some free food off Wonwoo. They spend roughly five hours in the back listening to various girl group songs and Soonyoung occasionally dances along (“ _Why do you know the dances?_ ” “ _I wanted to be a dance major when I was in high school. So I would practice in the studio at my school with my friends at the time._ ” “ _Why aren’t you a dance major?_ ” “ _It’s not what my parents wanted._ ”) Sometimes Soonyoung will bring photo albums of cat pictures. (“ _Where did you take these?_ ” “ _Aonoshima in Japan! It’s an island of cats. Seriously! I really love cats._ ” “ _Ah...me too…_ ”). 

Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time Wonwoo just listens to Soonyoung speak. It isn’t difficult. The other has a sweet voice, almost like candy floss. He’s passionate about everything he says and typically has multiple wild hand gestures to go along with his equally wild stories. He tells Wonwoo about his family, his friends at school, his workout buddies. Wonwoo listens along and hums in agreement at times, often while he is rolling out dough for cookies or packing up the shipments of fruits and other things. He’s content with just listening. 

Soonyoung also starts bringing him ideas for new recipes. They aren’t groundbreaking or out of this world, but they’re definitely different. Wonwoo writes them all down as Soonyoung describes them in great detail. Usually he’s in a white chef coat covered in almond flour or melted chocolate. Soonyoung is typically dressed to the nines, wearing a different brand item each time they meet. It’s nice and cozy. 

Wonwoo begins to look forward to these moments. At first it’s every two or three days, and then Wonwoo hands Soonyoung a print out of his schedule and everything sort of blurs together. They don’t keep in contact outside of the bakery. Almost as if the bakery exists in this separate realm and Soonyoung is a secret. Or something. He tells Jeonghan all about the boy when they’re both awake at the same time. Jeonghan will smile and nod. 

A little over two months pass and suddenly it’s holiday time. Soonyoung comes in to the bakery dressed in a casual fit one evening at an odd time and it’s the most bare-faced Wonwoo has seen him. The circles under his eyes resemble day old bruises and he can’t even muster up a smile that lights up his entire face. Wonwoo frowns. “I’m going home for two weeks, Wonwoo. I came by to let you know just so you don’t think I’ve gone missing or something. Also I wanted to get some snacks for my family. I think they’d love them.” 

Wonwoo can tell Soonyoung is tired, possibly from non stop exams, and he nods. “I’ll put together another 20,000 won basket for you.” Sehyoon, who is restocking milk cartons in the corner fridge, looks over at him bewildered. “You trust me, right?”

To this, Soonyoung’s eyes sparkle just a tad. “Of course!” Wonwoo’s heart sings. 

Wonwoo gets to work putting together a little gift basket for Soonyoung all while attempting to avoid Sehyoon’s stare. He cashes Soonyoung out, wishes the other well on his travels, and Soonyoung leaves. Wonwoo is not watching him go like some sort of love sick child.   
“I’m sorry, who was that?” Wonwoo jumps at Sehyoon’s voice from right beside him. He’d almost forgotten the elder was even there. “And since when did we do 20,000 won baskets?” 

Wonwoo shakes a hand at him as he walks towards the back break room. Sehyoon can clean up the front before he clocks out. He settles down at the desk and drops his head into his arms. Mentally, he makes a list of pros and cons to being Soonyoung free for nearly two weeks.

_Pros: I can get everything done quickly and leave. I can go back to listening to my music in peace. No more giving away free food and lying to the managers about it._

_Cons: No Soonyoung for two weeks._

It’s a little disappointing to say the least. He had gotten used to Soonyoung’s company during his closing time. While, yes, he stayed at the store far longer than he should have, he was accompanied by charismatic conversations and enthralling storytelling. He would miss Soonyoung’s smile as soon as Wonwoo informed him of a new strawberry product. He would miss the way Soonyoung’s eyes disappeared in a crinkly mess every time he laughed. He would miss how overwhelming the aura around Soonyoung was, no matter the mood. Everything Soonyoung did, he did it big. 

Most of all, he would miss Soonyoung. _Fuck_. 

He let out a shout of annoyance to absolutely no one, partially muffled by his sleeves. If Sehyoon heard, he didn’t bother checking on Wonwoo. Admitting the potential of a crush on someone like Soonyoung was...impossible. Wonwoo refused to believe it. It had been a long while since he’d had a crush on someone, maybe back when his heart fluttered at Sehyoon’s piercing eyes every time they maintained contact within the first few days of working with each other (this was shortly withdrawn once Wonwoo learned his hyung’s true nature post-new employee honeymoon period, and also the fact that Sehyoon was deeply in love with his boyfriend of nearly four years). 

So. Wonwoo has a crush on Soonyoung. It’s fine. He knows a lot about the boy to justify it, at least. But now. Now things will be different. He’ll look at Soonyoung with more purpose. Will Soonyoung catch him staring? Will Soonyoung get weirded out and stop coming to the bakery? Wonwoo shouts again. He has no idea how to deal with this.

Naturally, he throws himself into work to forget. 

Days come and go, seemingly endless, as Wonwoo continues to sleep late and wake up too early. He can feel it; the exhaustion settles into his bones and he just knows what’s coming. He hasn’t taken a real break in a while, but the rent is due at the end of the month and Wonwoo refuses to let Jeonghan shoulder both of their shares again. And not having Soonyoung’s energy has all but turned him into somewhat of a dehydrated vampire.

Wonwoo steps into the kitchen where Jeonghan is chopping green onions. He reluctantly downs an entire energy drink out of the fridge and just barely misses Jeonghan’s frown as he makes his way to the front door. 

But as soon as he takes a step outside the world seems to spin around him. Wonwoo registers a body behind him just as his vision blurs, going completely black. 

Wonwoo doesn’t remember getting in bed. He certainly doesn’t remember changing out of his work clothes and into pajamas. He also doesn’t remember going to work and coming home after his shift. But a quick glance at the clock beside his bed tells him he never went to work, because his shift wouldn’t be over at this hour. There’s a glass of water, two slices of toast, and a hastily written note. 

**body temp 38.5. u need sleep. called sehyoon to cover. im running**

**some quick errands but will be back. call if u need.**

He groans. Wonwoo hasn’t had a fever in months, just barely staving off fatigue to power through his work schedule. He knows the damage has been done and Jeonghan won’t let him out of his sight until Wonwoo has a semi-normal appetite and doesn’t look like a ghost but it still kind of sucks. 

There’s a beeping from the living area signaling Jeonghan’s return home. Jeonghan’s voice is soft. “ _Yeah, the last time he was out for a week. I’m hoping I caught it in time so he won’t miss too much. …..I agree. It’s not like he can ask them to pay him more. …...Oh, really? Interesting. Well, hopefully he’ll still be alive by then. Talk later, Sehyoon.”_

The door to Wonwoo’s bedroom opens just a crack and Wonwoo can see Jeonghan’s face peek through. “Are you alive?”

“Just barely,” Wonwoo croaks. “Feel like shit.” 

“Yeah you look like shit, too.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I called Sehyoon to cover for you. Don’t look at me like that,” Jeonghan’s voice rises when Wonwoo frowns at him, “you know there’s absolutely no way you could have worked tonight.” 

Wonwoo sighs, defeated. He knows Jeonghan is right. He knows he’ll be out for a few days, at the very least. He can recuperate and regain his lost energy and when he returns to the bakery he can just make up for the lost hours. Sehyoon doesn’t even know how to roll out the bread properly. 

Soonyoung’s list of recipe ideas floats around his head. He modifies some of them mentally, can smell their aroma almost subconsciously. The last thing he sees before he falls into sleep is Soonyoung, trying one of Wonwoo’s modified recipes, and smiling like it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten.

***********

Soonyoung can see the emptiness of the lobby from where he stands now, just a few meters away. He thinks of all the different combinations written in his notebook while he feigned attention during his test review. He even copied several links to pretzel recipes while he waited for the bus. Usually, Wonwoo didn't show much interest in deviating away from his cakes and cookies but Soonyoung has been able to change his mind here and there.

Soonyoung stops short when he reaches the glass of the bakery and doesn't see Wonwoo's familiar frame anywhere in the storefront. Instead, there's a somewhat tall silver-haired boy in Wonwoo's typical spot.

The bell on the door dings and the boy looks up. "Welcome in!" He's grinning, holding a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other. Soonyoung can see his name tag reads Kim Sehyoon. The store is otherwise empty.

"Is...is Wonwoo here today?" Soonyoung asks.

The boy squints and as Soonyoung steps closer, he almost has a look of realization on his face. "He called in sick today. I was kind of surprised because it's been a while since he last did this."

"Did...what?"

"Overworked himself so much he passed out on his roommate. Not that he really has a choice to take it easy but sometimes he doesn't even seem to take care of himself."

"Oh…” Soonyoung panics. “I- will he be okay?” 

Sehyoon shrugs. “Usually he’s fine after a bit of rest. Probably just has a fever.”

“I see. Do you know when he’ll be back in, then?” Soonyoung says, deflating ever so slightly. 

"Knowing him he'll try and come in tomorrow. But Jeonghan will give him shit so most likely a few days."

Soonyoung tries not to look too disappointed, bummed over the inability to share his newfound recipes with Wonwoo. While home he’d attempted to brainstorm some new ideas for a few sandwiches, drowning out the screams of his niece and nephew terrorizing his poor dog. There wasn’t much going on otherwise. Soonyoung mostly wanted to avoid his parents’ constant questioning.

"But," Sehyoon interrupts Soonyoung’s thoughts, "I bet he would super duper appreciate being hand-delivered some chicken soup. There's a place near his apartment that I know he loves. Should I give you the name?” 

Soonyoung nods, typing the restaurant name into his phone. It’s not exactly close, but he has nothing else to do for the rest of his evening. Sehyoon holds out his own phone. “Give me your number, just in case you get lost.” Soonyoung does so and thanks Sehyoon for his help. 

As he's stepping out the door, Sehyoon waves him out. "Good luck, Soonyoung!"

Soonyoung has to take a bus back to the station and then two trains to get to Wonwoo's apparent neighborhood. The shop is down a side street settled in between two appropriately sized houses a good ten-minute walk away from the station. Soonyoung double checks his phone to make sure he has the right place, which he does. The shopkeepers greet him as he steps into the warm restaurant and Soonyoung can see why Wonwoo enjoys this place. While he waits for his order to be fulfilled (and munches on some mandu) he shoots a text to Sehyoon.

soonyoung: fun story. so. I don't actually know where wonwoo lives.

He receives a response almost immediately.

**sehyoon** : ?????????????? did i give my # to a stalker!!!!!!!!

**sehyoon** : just kidding (^_<)～☆ i know who u are

Soonyoung doesn’t have a chance to react to this as the next texts are an address and apartment code number. As well as a warning.

**sehyoon** : jeonghan isnt as scary as he tries 2 be BUT b careful anyway

He doesn't quite understand this text either. Soonyoung doesn't know who Jeonghan is, doesn't know why he should be careful, doesn't know why this Jeonghan tries to be scary. None of it makes sense.

He doesn't know who Jeonghan is to Wonwoo, either.

It's too late to get caught up in those sort of thoughts as his order is called out and he hurries out the door. It's getting late, Soonyoung realizes, and he doesn't even know if Wonwoo will be awake. Even still he plugs the address into his maps and is given an estimated walking time of eight minutes. The soup is bagged up and insulated nicely even in the cold weather so Soonyoung hopes it stays hot enough the entire time.

Luckily the building is easy to find. Soonyoung punches in the code Sehyoon gave him to access the elevator and rides it all the way to the correct floor. It's a nice building, clean walls, and floors, and decent (motion-activated!!!) lighting. 

As soon as Soonyoung reaches the door he pauses just before knocking. His mind begins to race with a million thoughts. He could just leave the food at the door with a note. He could just take it home and eat it himself and pretend he’d never come to visit.  _ What if he isn't happy to see me? What if he's upset I know where he lives? What if he hates me and just puts up with me? What if _ -

"Can I help you?" a voice calls out from down the hall. It's a man, walking towards the apartment Soonyoung stands in front of. He's wearing a sun hat atop shoulder-length blonde hair, a flowy white blouse, a long black skirt, and white sneakers. The man is, to put it delicately, beautiful. "Did you need anything from us? We don’t accept solicitations."

Soonyoung, somewhat stunned, looks from the man to the door, back to the man. "I- Wonwoo- Sehyoon-" he sputters, and the man's blank expression suddenly twists into something more concerning. "I'm- This was a mistake. I'm sorry."

He rushes past the man, ready to abandon every and all thought that led him to this very moment.  _ What was I thinking?  _ plays in his head over and over again as he walks away.  _ Wonwoo isn't even my friend. We aren't friends. I can't believe I just showed up at his apartment with food. I- _

"You aren't, by any chance, Soonyoung...are you?"

Soonyoung stops abruptly, nearly twisting into a pretzel at the sound of his name from back in the direction of Wonwoo's apartment and the strange man waiting in the doorway.

The corners of the man's lips lift slowly. "Ah, you must be. I'm Wonwoo's roommate, Jeonghan. Would you like to come in for tea?"

Jeonghan graciously takes Soonyoung's coat as Soonyoung not-so-graciously takes in his surroundings. Wonwoo and Jeonghan's shared apartment is...nice. Nicer than Soonyoung's dorm (obviously). The floors are dark stained hardwood, the appliances are shiny and stainless, the kitchen countertops are clean and covered in various bowls of fruit. A few framed photos line the entryway walls--Soonyoung can make out Wonwoo and Jeonghan in several of them. There's one photo with Wonwoo and an unnervingly beautiful woman standing beside him. Another with Jeonghan in front of a beach with another man, peace signs and squinted eyes in the sun. Past the kitchen is what Soonyoung assumes to be the living room. There's a couch facing a rather large television screen, a cotton candy-colored rug underneath a small coffee table, and a bookshelf. Large screen doors lead out to a small balcony teeming with various potted plants and a drying rack. All in all the apartment seems well lived-in. 

While Soonyoung is spacing out, he doesn't notice Jeonghan walk up beside him with two steaming mugs. The distinct smell of vanilla fills his nostrils. "I hope you like vanilla tea. It's Wonwoo's favorite during the wintertime so I always stock up." Soonyoung accepts the mug and smiles. "I didn't mean to scare you, earlier. Sehyoon called earlier to warn me you were coming over with food. I had to go pick up Wonwoo’s medication so that’s why I wasn’t home. I didn’t think his friend would actually show up, anyway."

Soonyoung shakes his head carefully. "No, no. I, uh, I almost decided not to. Sorry. It's just- Sehyoon? He told me Wonwoo was sick and asked me to bring him some food. It's- it's on my way home so I said I'd do it." It's not entirely a lie, but Jeonghan doesn't need to know that. "Plus- Wonwoo and I are honestly just acquaintances. It was convenient to come over here."

For a minute Soonyoung thinks Jeonghan doesn't buy the story. There's a beat or two before Jeonghan nods while sipping from his mug. "He is. Sick, I mean. Not super sick. He just burns himself out super easily. So I end up having to take care of his dumb ass now and then. He's asleep right now otherwise I'd go grab him, sorry.” Soonyoung nods understandingly. 

"So Wonwoo tells me you visit the bakery a lot. That's pretty far for someone who lives over in this area."

_ Shit.  _

"I-" Soonyoung laughs nervously. "Yeah, I have classes at the university over there so I stop by when I'm done." He rubs the back of his head.  _ So this is what Sehyoon meant by ‘be careful’, huh. _

Jeonghan eyes Soonyoung suspiciously. "Is that so? What are you studying?"

"Oh! Um. Business communications. I have a degree in advertising and my parents insisted I get a Masters before I start my full-time work, so. My father works for a top ad agency and managed to get me an entry-level position once I graduate. I take a lot of night classes so I'm always on campus late, I guess." It's a practiced speech Soonyoung gives. He could give the entire thing in his sleep if he really wanted to. Right down to the specifics of his post-grad employment.

Jeonghan hums. "That's nice, though. Especially if you like being in the office environment. Is it what you've always wanted to do?"

Soonyoung pauses. He never knows how to answer this question. The truth is, no. He doesn't want to do it. But it's not his choice in the long run. It's a promise of job security and decent salary so long as he sucks it up and does what he's told. "Yeah, I guess so."

It doesn't seem to convince Jeonghan but the other man, thankfully, doesn't press any further. "I'm an English teacher," he says after a moment. "My fiancé-" and Jeonghan nods his head to the beach photograph in the hallway, "he lives in Los Angeles. I'm trying to get over there on a work visa but I have to get some experience here for a little bit before I can be considered. So I teach English to a variety of age groups and I teach Korean to English-speaking expats."

"That's incredible. Is it difficult? I barely know conversational English so I can't imagine teaching it."

"It is. I guess the hardest part is how there are different types of English. There's American English and then there's British English, to name two. Each has its own rules with regards to grammar and even slang. I'm an ace at American English but that's only because Joshua, that's my fiancé, he explains a lot of stuff to me. And I help him with his horrible Korean."

Soonyoung takes another sip of his (now cold) tea and exhales. There's a comfortable silence in the apartment so he takes a moment to look around again. While there are a decent amount of photos with Wonwoo in them, there are even more photos of Jeonghan and what he assumes to be the fiancé. Jeonghan’s diploma hangs alone above the fireplace. 

"What about Wonwoo?"

"Hm? What about him?"

"What does he do outside of the bakery? Is he studying anything specific?"

Jeonghan frowns at this. "Has he never told you?"

Soonyoung shakes his head. "He never brings it up, I guess? We don’t talk too much about his personal stuff. More like his favorite music genre or fast food. But nothing about school."

"Oh. Wonwoo isn't in school. He dropped out during his first year." Jeonghan looks forlornly towards the closed bedroom door before dropping his head and sighing. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, I really should let him. All he does is work at that bakery. He comes home, maybe plays some video games, and then passes out. And does it all over again. I think the kid gets maybe four or five hours of sleep a night if he's lucky. And then he burns himself out. And then he gets mad at himself for missing work."

"Mad? Why?"

"A missed day of work is lost money. The owners can't cover paid sick or vacation days. So if Wonwoo misses a day of work, he misses those hours towards his paycheck. And if he misses those hours towards his paycheck, that's a lower paycheck. You see where I'm going with this?" Soonyoung nods. "Less money on his paycheck, less money to pay rent, etcetera. So he'll try and come in on his days off to make up the hours and burn himself out even more. Neverending cycle. One of these days I swear he's going to bake himself into a cake and that'll be the end of Jeon Wonwoo."

Jeonghan lets out another long, tired sigh. "Wonwoo can barely afford his half of the rent here. I'm fine to cover him but he beats himself up over that. He thinks I'm going to hate him if he can't pay me back immediately. I just don't want him out on the street again. I don't know if he has anyone else to turn to. And once I leave..." He frowns. "I really want him to take it easy.” 

“How so?” Soonyoung asks.

"I just need him to stop thinking everything is so urgent and has to be done right then and there. He doesn’t have to worry about his parents anymore. He can slow down just a little. No one is going to fault him for it.” 

Soonyoung sets his mug of tea down. It's a lot to take in, especially when he’d come to Wonwoo's apartment with the sole intention of sharing cold remedy foods with the guy. He appreciates Jeonghan sharing some of this with him regardless. It puts a little bit more of Wonwoo's entire manner into perspective. Sure, they’ve talked about the most random things. Ninety percent of the time its Soonyoung talking about himself. He’d feel bad about it if Wonwoo wasn’t the one to spur it on each time. Almost like he didn’t want to divulge in his own personal life. Which, from how Jeonghan makes it out to be, isn’t all that great.

“Wait, what happened with his parents?”

Jeonghan takes a deep breath, exhales loud and drained. “Do you really want to know?” Soonyoung nods. “I want to say ask him but I know he’ll never tell you. The first time he told me I had to pry it out of him. This is back when he worked two jobs and rarely slept.” Jeonghan laughs. “He rarely sleeps now, but. It is what it is.

“Did Wonwoo ever tell you he has a younger brother?” Soonyoung shakes his head. “Imagine having a younger brother who ends up being smarter, more successful, more handsome, more revered than you could ever even hope to be. Imagine having to live up to those standards. God. Wonwoo’s parents loved Bohyuk. They treated him like some sort of golden child.”

Soonyoung tries to imagine a younger, more handsome Wonwoo but comes up short. Wonwoo himself is already handsome, he isn’t afraid to admit that to himself. 

“Bohyuk graduated at the top of his class, went to the best schools, did exactly what his parents expected of him. Bohyuk wanted to be a chemical engineer. Wonwoo wanted to be a veterinarian.” 

Soonyoung’s eyes widen at this revelation. He could never picture Wonwoo as a vet, only because he’d never heard the guy talk about it. 

“Right?” Jeonghan laughs. “Anyway, his parents were super against this because they wanted him to go into law like his dad. They’d set up a special fund for law school, talked about sending him to the best law school in the country, getting him into the top firms. Wonwoo spent a year studying political science before dropping out. His parents had no idea. He came home one day and said he was done with school and they kicked him out. Couldn’t stop comparing him to his brother. So he moved up here. Got in contact with me through a friend of a friend and crashed on my couch for a little bit while job surfing. A little bit turned into us just getting a place together and him working at the bakery.” 

It’s not even close to what Soonyoung expected and, as such, he is left at a loss for words. 

“It’s nice to see Wonwoo in his own little element now but he definitely hasn’t healed from his past life. He needs someone to help guide him there. And I’m not planning on staying here forever.” Jeonghan stands up from the barstool and collects both his and Soonyoung’s mugs, placing them gently in the sink. “Maybe you can be that for him?” 

“Me?” 

“Just keep doing what you’re doing, but slow him down a bit. Remind him that he doesn’t have to always be on some sort of deadline.” 

Soonyoung nods determinedly. He grabs his things and stands up, stretching momentarily before heading to the front door. “I’ll do what I can.” 

“Good luck, Soonyoung,” Jeonghan grins as he moves to shoo Soonyoung out of the apartment. “Oh, and one more thing.” Soonyoung looks back at him as soon as he’s over the threshold, curiosity in his eyes.

“Wonwoo doesn’t let acquaintances, much less regular old friends, hang out with him after closing up shop nearly every night, so you may want to reevaluate your definition of acquaintance.” 

Soonyoung watches as the door shuts in front of him, leaving him alone in the hallway of the apartment complex. The weight of Jeonghan’s words sinks in all at once. 

Wonwoo is back at work a few days after the Soonyoung conversation (unbeknownst to him, that is). Not even because he’s feeling better, because he most certainly isn’t, but because Jeonghan agreed to cover half of his rent and he needs to make up the hours. He’s felt lousy sitting in bed all day, too drowsy from the medication and from Jeonghan force-feeding him samgaetang and various other remedies. After three days of doing this, two days spent leveling up his Miqo’te on Final Fantasy XIV, Wonwoo gains the energy to sneak out one evening and make his way to the bakery before Jeonghan gets back from his own job. 

It’s a really shitty thing to do, Wonwoo knows, but he can’t just sit in bed all day and do nothing productive. And the cold outside does nothing but chill him down to the bone. He’d managed to grab a coat and muffler before leaving but even that can’t help. Thankfully the stations aren’t as packed and he’s able to get on to a train quick. 

Sehyoon is surprised when Wonwoo walks through the front door of the cafe. He opens his mouth but Wonwoo manages to stop him. “Don’t tell Jeonghan I’m here.” Sehyoon seems to let the words settle before nodding, albeit disappointedly. 

The two work alongside each other in a weird sort of silence. Wonwoo gets to work preparing dough and recipe cards, washing whatever dishes end up in the sink. Sehyoon stays at the front of the bakery, stocking and keeping an eye on the lack of customers. 

After Sehyoon locks the door half an hour later he confronts Wonwoo in the back. “Your boy came by the other night,” he sings. 

Wonwoo nearly feels his neck snap with how fast he turns to face his elder. “My boy?” 

“Soonyoung, the little fairy sprite guy. He was very upset you weren’t here.” Wonwoo can feel his ears heat up just a tad. “I wonder if he actually made it to your apartment that night…” 

“My apartment?! He came by?” 

“Ah, so maybe he didn’t. I gave him your address and everything, even called Jeonghan as soon as he left here. He was supposed to bring you soup.” 

The memory of reheated samgaetang pops into Wonwoo’s head. It’s not like it had appeared out of thin air but he knows Jeonghan couldn’t have had enough time to make it or even pick it up.  _ Did Soonyoung really stop by? _

“You should text him and say thank you, dummy.” Sehyoon tosses a wet rag into the bin. “Who knows when he’ll come next.”

Wonwoo is silent, staring at the dirty dishwater and contemplating. “I...don't have his number.” 

“Wah~ Really?! Are you two not friends?” 

Shaking his head, Wonwoo continues his task after a brief pause. “We aren’t friends, I don’t think. He’s just a regular.” 

“No way, Wonwoo. We have regulars. They don’t stay until after close and talk about who knows what. They come in, they tell us about their day, they order the same exact thing, and then they leave. We’re lucky enough to learn their names. You guys,” Sehyoon says almost demandingly while pointing at Wonwoo with a gloved hand, “are definitely friends. Or maybe there’s something else going on…?”

“A-absolutely not!” Wonwoo knows he’s turning pink this time. He looks at the clock and groans frustratedly. “Whatever, we’re friends. Are you happy? That’s all we are, though. Nothing more. Pretty sure he doesn’t even think of me in any way more than a friend. Not that I want him to. Jesus, do you ever shut up?”

The elder simply grins before tossing his kitchen gloves in the sink, signifying the end of his chores. “You’re talking more than me for once.”

***********

**Author's Note:**

> here it is. 3k of words. I have more to share with you. 
> 
> thank you to lia, my paired artist, for helping make this fic come to life. you are a beautiful human being. 
> 
> thanks swn for always helping me motivate myself.
> 
> part two will be out before the end of summer.


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